Aquarium reflector



Seli 22, 1970 A. H. WILLINGER AQUARIUM REFLECTOR Filed Feb. 15, 196s vINVENTOR. ,JZ/#M /%////4/e ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,530,288AQUARIUM REFLECTOR Allan H. Willinger, New Rochelle, N.Y., assignor toMetaframe Corporation, Maywood, NJ., a corporation of Delaware FiledFeb. 13, 1968, Ser. No. 705,148 Int. Cl. F21s 1/02 U.S. Cl. 240-52 6Claims ABSTRACT OF 'THE DISCLOSURE A lamp bracket assembly is mounted onan aquarium lamp reflector. The lamp assembly comprises a lamp socket, aswitch and a bracket. The bracket has a collar against which the switchabuts and a pair of shoulders adjacent the collar. A leg depends fromeach shoulder and the lamp socket is affixed to the legs at the endopposite from the shoulders. The bracket is connected from anelectrically non-conductive substance and insulates the socket from anysurrounding conductive substances.

BACKGROUND OF THE `INVENTION Field of the invention This inventionrelates to a lamp bracket assembly adaptable for use with a reilectorutilized to dissipate light over an aquarium wherein the lamp socket iseffectively insulated from surrounding metallic substances by thebracket member. More particularly, this invention relates to suchbracket assembly provided with a lamp switch mounted exteriorly of thereflector and on the other side of the metallic shield from the lamp.

Discussion of the prior art Aquarium lamps provided with lamp lightreflectors have been used for many years. Prior art reflectors wereprovided with a standard lamp light on the interior of the reflectorassembly operably using standard household alternating current. A switchwas provided to turn the lamp on and off This switch was actuatablyusing a knob mounted exteriorly of the reflector but the switchmechanism per se was on the interior of the reflector facing theaquarium water. A metallic bracket was used which connected the switchwith the lamp socket. That assembly was affixed to the metallicreflector.

This assembly has several diiferent attendant disadvantages. Due to thefact that the switch mechanism per se with its metallic parts whichconduct electricity were positioned facing the water, some normalvaporization of the water caused by, inter alia, the heat of the lamp,causes corrosion of these vital parts. This is so, since no protectivecovering against moisture intrusion is provided. Additionally,replacement of a switch or examination of the same is complicatedbecause the switch actuating means is positioned on one side of thereflector, while the switch per se is positioned on the other. Hence, itbecame advantageous to provide an aquarium reflector assembly whichobviated the disadvantages of these prior art assemblies. It becameparticularly desirable to provide a bracket assembly which insulated thesocket member from surrounding conductive substances.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Objects of the invention It is an object ofthis invention, therefore, to provide a lamp bracket assembly useful inconjunction with an aquarium lamp reflector wherein the socket isinsulated from surrounding conductive substances.

It is another object of this invention, therefore, to provide such abracket assembly wherein the switch actuat- 3,530,288 Patented Sept. 22,1970 a ICC STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION `Broadly, this inventioncontemplates a lamp bracket assembly adaptable for use with an aquariumlamp reector, said assembly comprising a lamp socket, a switch and abracket comprising a collar against which said switch abuts and a pairof shoulders adjacent said collar and having depending from eachshoulder a leg, said lamp socket affixed to said legs at the endopposite from said shoulders, said bracket constructed of anelectrically non-conductive substance whereby said bracket insulatessaid socket from any surrounding conductive substances.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention can be morereadily understood and appreciated by reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which lFIG. 1 is a perspective View of the reector assemblyof this invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional View taken along the line 2 2 0f FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3 3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4 4 of FIG. 2 showing abracket joining the lamp with the switch through the reector and servingas a moisture protection barrier o1' guard;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 5 5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the protective bracket shown in assemblyin other views;

FIG. 7 is a view of the exteriorly mounted switch partially broken awayto reveal the contacts of the switch, and

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along the line 8 8 of FIG. 7.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A preferred embodiment of thisinvention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings which show thebracket assembly of this invention mounted on an aquarium lampreflector. The bracket assembly comprises a switch 4 in the form of aknob housing its contacts therein which are brought into contactingrelationship by revolution of the knob. Knob 4 is mounted against acollar portion of bracket 16 which collar portion comprises a pair ofconcentric circular rings 18 and 20 dening a groove 22. The entirecollar is of such a size as to |be passed through a suitable aperture inthe reflector 6. Ring 18 of bracket 16 denes aperture 24 whichaccommodates lwires 25 and 27 leading from switch 4 to socket assembly30.

The bracket 16 has tapering legs 32 and 34 depending from the shouldersadjacent the collar which legs are integral with feet 36 and 38 havingopenings 40 and 42 employed to mount the socket assembly thereto asshown in FIG. 2. On its bottom, it has support ridges 50 and 52 runningdown a portion of legs 32 and 34 and on either side of ring 18 as shownby numerals 56 and 58 aixed to base 60 comprising the shoulders.Parallel running edges 62 and 64 function to reinforce cross-piece 70.

The bracket 16 is made of an electrically non-conductive materialsuitably an electrical insulating plastic material. It can lbe made of ahydrophobic material suitably a hydrophobic plastic material such aspolyethylene, poly- Vinyl chloride, nylon and the like. It can be moldedin one piece to provide an integral piece which can join the socketassembly including the switch to the reflector so that the socketassembly portion to which the lamps are eventually connected isinsulated from surrounding metallic conductive substances particularlyfrom the metallic reflector shield 6.

The switch 4 generally comprises a rotary upper member 90 and astationary lower member 92. Upper member 90 has a side which generallycovers the major portion of lower member 92. Aflixed to the top of uppermember 90 is a pair of resilient spiraling conductive contacts A, eachspiraling for about 1/2 revolution and positioned on either sides of therotary upper member 90 within the same. The lower member 92 comprisesfour beveled slots, one of which and a portion of another are visible inFIG. 7. Along the beveled portion of two of these four beveled slots arecontacts B which in turn are connected to the wires 25 and 27 leading tothe lamp assembly. Intermediate contacts B are non-conductive slots. Inoperation, the upper member is revolved so that the two resilientcontacts pass over a non-conductive edge as 94 in FIG. 7 and thence passdown onto contacts B on beveled edge 96 adjacent slot 98. At the sametime, contact is made with the other contact `B on the other side of theswitch in precisely the same manner. Further, revolution of member 90removes the contacts A and positions them against a non-conductivesurface 94 turning the lamp oli The oil position of the contacts isshown in FIG. yt3. The two A contacts at the origin of their respectivespirals are in contact with one another permanently.

The unitary bracket assembly comprising the bracket, switch and socketassembly is afxed to a suitable metallic reector by inserting the switchand collar member through an aperture in the reflector and thuspositioning the non-conductive shoulders of bracket 16 against thereflector shield 6. The legs 32 and 34 depend therefrom and hold socketassembly 30 away from rellector shield 16. The unitary insulatingbracket assembly is rmly afxed to rellector shield 6 by virtue offasteners 8 and 10 passing through apertures 12 and 14 of bracket 16.These fasteners can be plastic pins which lock the bracket against thereflector by virtue of a resilient end member which expands on theinside of the bracket after hte same has passed through the apertures inthe reflector shield 6 and in the bracket 16.

lFrom the foregoing, it is apparent that the assembly of the instantinvention solves the problems attendant with prior art lamp assemblies.It is apparent that the socket assembly is insulated from the reflectorlby virtue of the bracket means. Additionally, in a preferredembodiment, the actuating means for the switch and the switch per se areon the same side of the reflector thereby removing the switch from thewater. Thus, the present assembly is devoid of the problems accompanyingprior art reflector assemblies, particularly those employing conductivebrackets and the like.

The terms and expressions used herein are terms of description and notof limitation as there is no intention in the use of such terms andexpressions of excluding any equivalents, or portions thereof, as manymodications and departures are possible within the scope of theinvention claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. A lamp bracket assembly adaptable for use with an aquarium lampreilector, said assembly comprising a lamp socket, a switch and abracket comprising a collar against which said switch abuts and a pairof shoulders adjacent said collar and having depending from eachshoulder a leg, said lamp socket aixed to said legs at the end oppositefrom said shoulders, means for electrically connecting said switch tosaid lamp socket, and said bracket constructed of an electricallynon-conductive substance whereby said bracket insulates said socket fromany surrounding conductive substances.

2. A lamp bracket assembly according to claim 1, wherein said bracket isconstructed of a molded plastic electrical insulating material.

3. A lamp bracket assembly according to claim 2, wherein said switchcomprises a rotatable knob housing the contacts of said switch wherebyrotation of said knob regulates the position of said contacts and saidswitch abuts said collar away from said lamp socket.

4. A lamp bracket assembly according to claim 3, wherein said collarcomprises a pair of concentric rings extending outwardly from saidshoulders and adaptable to be positioned throuph an aperture of areflector shield.

5. A lamp bracket assembly according to claim 4, wherein said legs andsaid shoulders are reinforced by reinforcing members extending along atleast a portion of said legs and said shoulders.

6. A lamp bracket assembly according to claim 4, wherein the inner ringdenes an aperture for accommo dating wires from said switch to saidsocket assembly.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,723,272 8/ 1929 Emma.

2,329,162 9/ 1943 Perkins 24U-2.14 2,617,917 11/1952 Janssen 24U-42,631,409 3/ 1953 Windiate.

2,760,049 8/1956 Harper.

2,771,543 11/ 1956 Seisholtz 240-10 3,210,532 10/1965 Woofter et al.24U-7.1

NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 24U-2, 26, 103

